Physician assistant demographics and statistics in the US
Physician assistant demographics research summary. Zippia estimates physician assistant demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our physician assistant estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about physician assistants after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 126,421 physician assistants currently employed in the United States.
- 66.4% of all physician assistants are women, while 33.6% are men.
- The average physician assistant age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of physician assistants is White (67.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.8%), Asian (11.2%) and Black or African American (5.4%).
- Physician assistants are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The education industry is the highest-paying for physician assistants.
- 12% of all physician assistants are LGBT.
On this page
Physician assistant demographics by:
Physician assistant gender statistics
66.4% of physician assistants are women and 33.6% of physician assistants are men.
- Female, 66.4%
- Male, 33.6%
Physician assistant gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 66.4% |
| Male | 33.6% |
Physician assistant gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$98,808
Female income
$88,627
Physician assistant gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in physician assistant positions over time. Currently, 66.4% of physician assistants are female.
Physician assistant gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 35.92% | 64.08% |
| 2011 | 37.67% | 62.33% |
| 2012 | 36.54% | 63.46% |
| 2013 | 34.19% | 65.81% |
| 2014 | 36.38% | 63.62% |
| 2015 | 36.25% | 63.75% |
| 2016 | 37.35% | 62.65% |
| 2017 | 34.39% | 65.61% |
| 2018 | 36.02% | 63.98% |
| 2019 | 36.73% | 63.27% |
| 2020 | 38.54% | 61.46% |
| 2021 | 33.56% | 66.44% |
Physician assistant related jobs gender ratio
We compared physician assistants with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Physician Assistant | 34% | 66% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Physician assistant demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among physician assistants is White, which makes up 67.5% of all physician assistants. Comparatively, 11.8% of physician assistants are Hispanic or Latino and 11.2% of physician assistants are Asian.
- White, 67.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.8%
- Asian, 11.2%
- Black or African American, 5.4%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Physician assistant race
| Physician assistant race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.8% |
| Asian | 11.2% |
| Black or African American | 5.4% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Physician assistant race and ethnicity over time
See how physician assistant racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Physician assistant race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.99% | 6.87% | 8.78% | 11.33% |
| 2011 | 69.74% | 7.08% | 8.89% | 11.23% |
| 2012 | 68.50% | 7.78% | 8.55% | 12.21% |
| 2013 | 68.96% | 8.10% | 10.57% | 9.85% |
| 2014 | 74.37% | 5.39% | 8.81% | 8.81% |
| 2015 | 70.68% | 6.69% | 9.60% | 10.90% |
| 2016 | 74.37% | 5.62% | 7.86% | 9.62% |
| 2017 | 75.93% | 4.23% | 8.36% | 8.69% |
| 2018 | 71.12% | 5.22% | 10.88% | 10.46% |
| 2019 | 70.70% | 5.55% | 10.82% | 9.82% |
| 2020 | 67.88% | 5.27% | 11.49% | 11.18% |
| 2021 | 67.53% | 5.36% | 11.24% | 11.75% |
Physician assistant wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown physician assistants have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american physician assistants have the lowest average salary at $94,246.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $105,422 |
| White | $98,451 |
| Black or African American | $94,246 |
| Asian | $98,670 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $97,582 |
Average physician assistant age
See how the average age of physician assistants varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Physician assistant age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 33 | |
| White | 40 | 35 |
| Black or African American | 54.5 | 41 |
| Asian | 44.5 | 36 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 35 |
Physician assistant age breakdown
The average age of physician assistants is 30-40 years years old, representing 45% of the physician assistant population.
Physician assistant age breakdown
| Physician Assistant Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 38% |
| 30-40 years | 45% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Physician assistant educational attainment
The most common degree for physician assistants is bachelor's degree, with 46% of physician assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 28% and master's degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 28%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 12%
Physician assistants by degree level
| Physician assistant degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46% |
| Master's | 28% |
| Associate | 9% |
| Doctorate | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 12% |
Physician assistant jobs you might like
Physician assistant wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $140,580 |
| Doctorate Degree | $134,744 |
Physician assistant employment statistics
Most physician assistants work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where physician assistants work
Below, you can see the size of companies where physician assistants work.
Physician assistant jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 37% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Physician assistant jobs by company type
Employees with the physician assistant job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most physician assistants prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Physician assistant jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 16% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 76% |
| Government | 3% |
Physician assistant jobs by industry
The most common industries for physician assistants are health care, education and government.
Physician assistant industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 72% |
| Education | 14% |
| Government | 2% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Physician assistant turnover and employment statistics
Physician assistant unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for physician assistants between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Physician assistant unemployment rate by year
| Year | Physician assistant unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.48% |
| 2011 | 2.26% |
| 2012 | 2.66% |
| 2013 | 1.69% |
| 2014 | 1.63% |
| 2015 | 0.53% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 0.53% |
| 2018 | 0.53% |
| 2019 | 0.33% |
| 2020 | 1.10% |
| 2021 | 1.65% |
Average physician assistant tenure
The average physician assistant stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 34,732 physician assistants resumes in Zippia's database.
Physician assistant tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Physician assistant LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of physician assistants that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Speech-Language Pathology Internship | 5.69% | 72,220 |
| Adult Psychiatrist | 9.88% | 28,220 |
| Physician Assistant | 11.62% | - |
| Reiki Practitioner | 13.00% | 26,714 |
| Geriatric Physician | 13.05% | 38,498 |
| Eye Specialist | 17.57% | 5,904 |
| Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia | 31.64% | 75,423 |
Similar physician assistant jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Speech-Language Pathology Internship | 5.69% | 72,220 |
| Adult Psychiatrist | 9.88% | 28,220 |
| Reiki Practitioner | 13.00% | 26,714 |
| Geriatric Physician | 13.05% | 38,498 |
| Eye Specialist | 17.57% | 5,904 |
| Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia | 31.64% | 75,423 |
Foreign languages spoken by physician assistants
The most common foreign language among physician assistants is Spanish at 60.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.1% and Russian is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 60.0%
- French, 8.1%
- Russian, 5.0%
- Chinese, 3.2%
- Hindi, 3.2%
- Other, 20.5%
Physician assistant languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 60.0% |
| French | 8.1% |
| Russian | 5.0% |
| Chinese | 3.2% |
| Hindi | 3.2% |
| Other | 20.5% |
